What a weekend!

(click on pics to enlarge)

Whew, what a weekend!
Pookie and I were in different places but
we both had a wonderful time.
I love that man more than anything,
but c'mon, a girls gotta have girl time.


Am I right???


As I said in my last post, my niece came for the weekend.
We relaxed, watched movies, stayed in our PJs all day
saturday, ate goodies and laughed and giggled and laughed
and giggled some more.
It was wonderful!



On Saturday night, because it was Saturday night, we were
still in our PJ's and fuzzy socks, and feeling a little
goofy, we went to my jewelry box and put on every single
piece of jewelry that had diamonds.
Then we watched our favorite Tyrone Power movie,
THE LONG GRAY LINE, whilst we were all gussied up.


I mean, really......LOOK at that guy!!
























They just don't make 'em like Tyrone anymore.
We had a great weekend together. Just the three of us. ;0)

Hey, don't you think Pookie looked a little like Tyrone??
Just take away the mustache. Do ya see it?? lol























I know, I know.. but, to me he does. ;0)


The guys came back late Sunday night. A little scratched up, banged up
and the biggest smiles on their faces I've ever seen.

They had gone to Zion National Park in southern Utah
and did a hike called, The Subway.
It's a 12 mile trek that takes you thru all types of terrain.
They hiked, waded thru water, rapelled and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Let me just interject here. I don't understand the whole nature and
hiking thing. I mean, why do that??
Don't they have calendars with all the pretty pictures, already?
It's a mystery to me..lol

Okay, back to the story.
The hike starts before dawn.
You can see a teensy bit of light in the top right corner as they
got their gear ready.

They each have a crazy hat they wear when they go off hiking.
I don't know why...lol























Nate already found some water.
That kid is like a water magnet..lol



Beautiful scenery, isn't it?
See the silly hat?


















And then, things get a little treacherous.


"Okay Nate, you go first, I'm right behind ya"























UP AND OVER























"OKAY UNCLE MIKE, READY?"
























"UH, how deep is this exactly???"

(The water was murky is some deeper spots when the mud
got stirred up with some light rain.)













"SWEEEET!"
They made it!
























After this point, I was told, no pics were taken as they
were all exhausted.

Pookie said he told another guy to take some pics for him
or his wife would kill him.

MOI? lol

Then came the hike out and back to the motel to regroup, eat,
relax and relive their adventure all over again.


On their way home, they stopped at BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK and
took a few pictures right from an easily accessible pathway.

They were all stiff and sore..LOL

Isn't it beautiful????


















This is a view of what's called THE AMPITHEATER.

Doesn't it kinda look like stone people down there??
(The bottom middle area.)

They're called HOODOOS.



















And, an awesome arch.























It was hectic and they were exhausted when they got back home,
so I didn't take any photos.

There are better bloggers out there than me, that would
have captured every moment.

The guys probably would have locked
me in a closet if I tried. lol


But, we all had a great weekend.


And, I hope y'all did too!

What's up for this weekend.

Hi Everybody!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

Tomorrow is a state holiday in Utah.
It's Pioneer Day!
And, it's a big deal here in the Beehive State.
People are all geared up, dressed up and ready
to whoop it up, Utah style.
I won't have my camera, but it's just parades and
stuff down here. You know how I feel about parades..lol

Pookie, my nephew Nathan, and a group of guy friends are
going down to Zion National Park
to hike The Subway.
There's water....there's cool rock formations, etc.
He's taking my camera and has
promised to take pictures or have someone on the hike
do it for me.

Do you hear that Pook???? You promised!

(pics can be enlarged by clicking on them)

Meet Nathan.























Nate just returned in December, from a 2 year mission
to the Philippines.
I'm soooo thankful he's home and safe.
Unlike going into the service where you have some protection,
they just go out into the world, with one other companion,
and it can be a little scary.

I'm staying home because other than the ocean, I don't "do" nature.
If there is a chance for snakes, Gayle won't be attending.
Don't even try.
:0)

Anywho....my niece is coming down for a girls weekend
and I can't wait.
I've made all her favorites. Coconut cake and pineapple
upside down cake.

I also made an apple pie for the guys, at their request.

Not to worry, I have my little mini Hostess 100 calorie
cupcakes with the white squiggle across the top.
I'm on it!

Meet Miss Blair. Aka Blair bear, Miss Blairsy, Princess B.














































She got married a couple of years ago, but still comes down
to visit her Auntie Gayle.
Her hubby, Josh, is a sweetheart
and lets her whenever she needs some girlie time.

Thank you Josh. :0)

Blair and Nathan are very close, which I'm thankful for. They
lived with us for quite a few years, so I feel like they're mine.

Brother and sister share a hug right after Blair got married.


















I'm prepared with our favorite girlie movies.
Moonstruck, The Wedding Singer, Fools Rush In, and
anything with Tyrone Power in it.(We loooove Tyrone!)

All the goodies are lined up.


















Hmmmm, somebody already cut into the apple pie.
That was supposed to be for Nathan too!!



And the silly pj's and fuzzy socks are waiting.

Blair gets the polka dots, and I get the stripes.
(If Ziggy will relinquish them)


















I can't wait for the weekend to start!

Everybody out there in blogland, have a wonderful weekend!!


UPDATE on the diet:
4.2 lbs and counting. YEAH BABY!

We're back!

Tis a mystery no more.

:0)


He took me to our favorite spot in the United States.
Cambria / San Simeon, California!!

It's quiet. It's peaceful. It's romantic. It's got stunning scenery
everywhere you turn and great little shops on Main Street in Cambria.
Uh hello? What more could a girl ask for!!

I didn't take pictures on the way, as there is nothing thrilling
about that part.


I'm going straight to the good stuff!

This is a view of the ocean, obviously, but it is the view
we had right outside our room.



















Oh how I had missed hearing the waves breaking and the seagulls.
And, that great ocean smell.
There is nothing like it.

We used to go to Monterey & Carmel when we lived in California,
but it just got sooooo crowded that one vacation we decided to
venture south and we found this little town, Cambria.

Now, darn it, I forgot my camera when we went into town.
And I was having so much fun I didn't
want to go back to the hotel.

Ah.....the hotel.
It was wonderful!!

Here's a little snapshot of the path you walked down to the
beach from our back patio /french doors.


























The hotel we stayed at is very doggie friendly,
and there was a nice lawn area you
could go out to and Ziggy could be a dog.

Of course, we always "make the pick" so
other people could enjoy it too, without watching where they step.



When we checked in, Ziggy got a little bag of doggie treats and
his own beach towel. lol
He also had his picture taken!
They have a bulletin board of all the pets that have
accompanied their owners during their stay, and it's really sweet.


Of course, he couldn't WAIT to get to the beach!


HI EVERYBODY!!!!!





C'mon Dad.....get the lead out!!


(see the plastic bag hanging out of Pookie's back pocket?
He's always prepared...lol)

We enjoyed just goofing at the beach for the rest of that day.


We walked along, holding hands and
forgot about everything else.
We watched the sunset. It was spectacular..and you could
hear everyone clapping when it turned orange and pink.
Pure bliss!

And yes, I took a picture, but it didn't turn out! :0(

Then it was off to dinner.
We had an excellent BBQ dinner
from this little restaurant on Main street.

They have THE best brisket I've ever had. Really....
the BEST brisket I've ever had. :0)

I actually managed to stay on my diet...(pretty much)
More on that tomorrow!

The next day we got up, sat out on our patio and enjoyed
a wonderful breakfast while listening to the ocean.

There is nothing like breakfast when you're on vacation.
Am I right????!

It's weird......I almost NEVER have breakfast
when I'm home.
But, when I'm on vacation, it's a must. I look
forward to it and I must have it!

Go figure. lol


After breakfast it was off to a certain beach,
a little north of San Simeon.

Elephant Seal Beach.
What a sight to see!

Those seals are so silly.

They lay out in the sun and every once in a while,
they'll flip up sand on themselves to cool off.
Roll over....bark at each other.....then they'll
flip some more sand....lumber off back to the water,
and do it all over again.

See all those lumps along the beach??? Those are the Elephant Seals!




They are HUGE, but it's amazing how fast they can move
when they want to.


Hey fella. Say CHEESE!



And, there is always the cute little critters that come up
to say hi and get a little goodie from you.

We didn't go to Hearst Castle this time,
as we've been quite a few times before.

We just relaxed, smooched, ate, shopped and slept in. :0)

This is a pretty lighthouse that was nearby.


And, before we knew it, it was time to leave for home.

Bye bye Lighthouse.
Bye bye cute seals and squirrels.
Bye bye Ocean.

The trip home was uneventful, which can be a good thing.

Pookie is always good to stop for me.

At every outlet mall, every antique shop and
nearly every In-N-Out burger on the way. lol

Before you knew it, we were back home.

When we arrived, I went out to check on
the flowers in the front yard, and this beautiful creature
was there to welcome us home.

Can you see it???


What a wonderful time we had.

:0)

Woooohoooo. A surprise!

"Ziggy....WAKE UP!"

















"Dad just called from work and says he's got
a surprise for us!!"



Oh....this is just what I needed!
I'm so excited.
Pookie is very good at keeping
secrets....the little butthead.



C'mon...C'mon. The time is dragging by.





"Where is the surprise?? There's nothing up here!"




















"MAMA, I SEE HIM!! HE'S PULLING IN THE DRIVE WAY!

And, there's something next to him in the front seat!"


























Oh, my, these are so pretty.
And they smell wonderful!



















And, a brand new chew bone for Ziggy!

The deluxe beef flavored rawhide with the
knots at the ends. His personal favorite.

(He's already taken it upstairs to hide it..lol)

Ah Pook,
You're the best!!!



What...wait.... there's more you say????























Pack my bags, enough for 4 days.???
Casual only.



And, that's all the information I got!!
I have no idea where we're going.

We leave tomorrow morning.

Wooohoooo!

Have a great weekend everybody and I'll have
pictures when I get back!

Keep Smiling!

Gayle

UGH!

Wednesday is behind us now and
day 3 of the diet is complete.

I'm not going to weigh myself everyday.
Just once a week.

It's 1am Thursday morning, and I couldn't sleep.
Probably because I didn't get up until 10 am???

And that's probably because I haven't had
a Diet Pepsi since Sunday. Maybe?

I stayed on my diet, but......

I didn't exercise.

I didn't get dressed until after noon.

I feel like a slug!!!

UGH!

A good day

I was doing my wifely duties today......

Dusting.

Vacuuming.

Unloading the dishwasher.

Mowing the lawn.

I LOVE to mow the lawn!
Don't know why, but I do.
I'm like the neighborhood lawn nazi.

Poor Pookie just shakes his head.

For Mother's Day--he always gets me
something on account of Ziggy--I asked
for a new lawn mower. And, boy did
I get one!

A top o'the line baby, with more
power than I know what to do with.



I lOVE IT!


I've said before, the first time I used
it, it was like a 2 year old attempting
to walk a Great Dane.
I could barely keep up.!


(I also got a gorgeous pair of pearl and
diamond earrings...but, I really love my
mower!! Shhh, that'll be our secret)




You can't tell from this view, but I keep the
lawn really short.
There is a reason for this.


I read somewhere that snakes like to hide in long grass.
And, just beyond that bench is this...



And, I'm SURE there are some little water snakes
slithering around in there.
EEEK!
We'll, they're not gonna hide in my yard!
I cut that lawn like a golf course!


There will be no surprises.

Not on my watch.

When we moved into the house, not only
was the house in horrible condition, so
was the yard.

This is right after we moved in.
We had to put up some temporary
steps so we wouldn't fall thru the
old ones that were rotted.



This is what that same area looked like, right after
Pookie built my special SNAKE PROOF fence,
(you can't be too careful) and
we laid the flagstone patio.
I told him I wanted
a little Zen area. So he also built the arbor
and mounted an old porch swing that he had
bought me a few houses back.



I think it looks better now.




The concrete owls were salvaged from an old Library
in Salt Lake that was going to be demolished.

Pookie brought them home
and now they watch over the backyard for us.


It's weird to look back at the before pictures.

We've done all the work ourselves.

We've sweated,
given up weekends when we could have been
whooping it up somewhere else....

And we put all our love and effort
into our little place that borders on Salt Creek.

It's not a stunner by any stretch.
Some of the homes I've seen out there in blogland
should be in a magazine!
I just look at them with awe.
They are so, so beautiful!!

But, we love our home.

It's us.
:0)


An update:

I did great on my first day of my diet!!!
Yippeeeeeee.
One day behind me, and about 364 more
days to go.

I can do it!!


Thanks to everyone who took time out
of their busy schedules to stop over
and say hi.


You're all sweethearts and I think the
world of you.

You know that, right??!!


I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Monday is the day!

Many of you know already, last year I went
thru a health crisis. Well, I survived....so far so good.....
but I did learn a couple of things about myself.


I'm not a patient person and I'm an emotional eater.

In that order...lol

Everyday was filled with stress, waiting to hear if the Melanoma
had spread, imagining the worst,
worrying about Pookie worrying about me,
wondering if I'd be alive in a year to see my nephew again.
(He'd left on a mission for his church in the Philippines.)


The list went on and on.

So I stressed and I ate. And I managed to put on 10 extra pounds.
I already needed to lose 15.
UGH

Everytime I went to sit at the computer in the office, this thing
was staring back at me.

(Look at the dust on that thing! Yikes.)

Okay, I absolutely HAD to do something.
So, this past weekend I took action.
I told Pookie my plan. He told me I looked great,
(liar liar pants on fire) but that he was onboard if it
would help me feel better about myself.






















I went to the refrigerator and freezer, and I tossed
anything and everything that wasn't healthy.

Goodbye old friend. :0(
















And, I'm exchanging that for these little gems. Have you tried
these??? They are SOOO good!






I'm keeping my beloved
banana popsicles.
They only have 45 calories each!

There is a God.








My fridge is now stocked with Slimfast and Lean Cuisines, lots of
fruits and veggies and those really
good itty bitty 100 calorie Hostess cupcakes.

I'll have a treat when Pookie has his dessert.


The next move was to angle the
treadmill so I have this view out the french door.
That's motivating....right????
























I've got my Billy Idol music, Soundtrack to Grease
and other assorted fun songs to sweat to.

So, when I wake up tomorrow and put on my walking shoes,
I'll be thinking;

I'm thankful I'm alive.

Exercise won't kill me.

I can do this.



Wish me luck!!!

I'm a tweaker.

Below are some pictures
of our upstairs guest bathroom.
We completed the remodel late last year.
New paint, tile, vanity, toilet, fixtures and beadboard wainscott,
the whole sha-bang.

I love this color. It is the softest, most peaceful green I could
find out there.
It's a BEHR color called Lion.




We're really lucky to have a large closet in
this space, too. We have looked at
other Victorian homes before, that didn't even have A closet.

Can you imagine???? No closets???



















This is the floor that I toiled over for days. I laid the tile
myself and I think it really works well in keeping the feel of
the house.



Okay, I thought everything looked fresh, clean and had that vintage vibe I
was going for.
But, something was missing........hmmmmmmm.

What was it??..............

Pretty handhooked wool rug........ check
Vintage style brushed nickel faucet....check
A little wood table for interest..........check

hmmm............

And, then it came to me!
That area, shown in the first pic, with the two pictures?????
It was crying out for some shelves.

So, in about 20 minutes, Pookie put these shelves up for me and
I painted them the creamy white trim color, Eggshell Cream.
Kinda gives the room a little spa-ish oomph to it.



And now, finally, I LOVE my upstairs guest bathroom.
I'm tweaked out.
LOL














P.S. No, my house
doesn't actually lean like that. lol
Leaning pictures and wall discolorations are the fault
of the camera or the picture-taker, me.

20 things.........

Since my blog is only a week old, I thought I'd better
introduce myself and tell you a few little snippets about
myself.



1. No Coke, Diet Pepsi. :0)

2. I hate parades. Yes, even the ones at the Magic Kingdom.

3. I am TERRIFIED of snakes. I don't care how little
they are.....non-poisonous, more scared of me, good
for the garden...blah blah blah
I HATE THEM. period. (only exception to #8)

4. I won't go in water if I can't see my feet.

5. I lived in Turkey for a year and could still
hold my own in a conversation. If they talked
really really slow. lol


6. I was the first one in my Jr. high school to have double pierced
ears. I did it myself. (I stopped after my belly button)

7. I'm extremely claustrophobic.

8. I am a major animal lover and could never be friends
with someone who wasn't. Just couldn't do it.

9. Finished top in my Auto Mechanics class my Sophomore year.

10. I didn't want my Senior picture taken with my braces on,
so after 2 years of wearing them, I removed them myself.

11. I never use my cell phone unless I'm on vacation.

12. I LOVE Banana popsicles.

13. I worry....about everything....all the time.

14. I was married before, at 17, to my high school sweetheart, for 2
years. (and no, I didn't "have to") I barely got out alive.
Literally. I left with my purse and the clothes on my back.


15. When I first laid eyes on Pookie, (5 years after my
divorce) I turned to my supervisor
and said, "That is the man I'm going to marry". And I did,
4 months later. :0)

16. I'm always cold.

17. Things I say daily:

What's the worst that could happen?

Love you Pookie

Ziggy, get down.

I'm starting my diet tomorrow.

What the?????????? (see below)


18. My first job was at Macy's in Womens, Better Sportswear.

19. I can place and finish concrete, mud & tape drywall
and lay tile like a pro.

20. I'm usually game to try anything once.




Update on the weekend:

Our fireworks got rained out, believe it or not! It started pouring,
complete with thunder and lightning, about an hour before
the extravaganza was to begin. What the???????
We still had a great BBQ earlier that evening and sat on the
porch during the storm, cocktail in hand and a 40lb Cocker
Spaniel quivering on my lap.
We ended up having one of the best 4th of July holidays ever!!
Goes to show ya, life is still filled with wonderful surprises. :0)

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH EVERYBODY!!!

The 4th of July is Pookie's favorite holiday!

Yes, even above Christmas, Easter and

Thanksgiving, if you can believe that.

He's a Vietnam Vet. He served in

the Air Force from 1968 - 1972.

Life was alot different back then as you can

see from his graduation photo from 1968.

That skinny tie and slicked down hair.

(He still has every bit of that hair too, it's gray now,

and even sexier!)

He went straight from high school to boot camp

and then overseas. It's kinda different, but he

doesn't like to talk about it, doesn't like to think

about it and doesn't participate in any VFW activities.

He's just Pookie......quiet and tender hearted.

He can usually be found earlier in the evening, at

the barbeque, cooking something that makes

the backyard smell WONDERFUL! Of course, there

are patio chairs hanging around just waiting for the

skies to darken enough for the city fireworks to start.

We have a perfect, unobstructed view from our backyard.

Just over that tall Lilac bush in the corner is where
all the action happens.

The neighborhood families will stop to visit when

they're walking by on their way to the park.

We'll be treated to the occasional

squeal from some little boy or girl that just can't

contain their excitement!

So, that's how it'll be in my tiny town this 4th.

I love my Pookie, and

I hope he has a wonderful 4th.

And I wish the same to all of you.

:0)

Tidbits........

Welcome to my neck o' the woods.

For those of you who don't know me,
I live in a Victorian home that is
listed on the National Historic Register.

We recently completed a 6 year restoration,
that just about did us in. lol

I share my home with Pookie, my wonderful husband
(AKA Mike) of 27 years and
our sweet Cocker Spaniel, Ziggy.
We weren't able to have children,
so you can imagine how spoiled
that pup is.

I hope you'll enjoy this little online diary
of daily life here in my teeny little town
in the middle of Utah.

We're about 25 miles to the nearest
Walmart or McDonalds......I didn't even
know they had towns left without
those hotspots???!

We've got one traffic light, but
there are rumors of another one
coming soon. Ohhh, the thrill!


Okay, starting this blog, adding pics,
the format, etc., has taken me 3 hours!
The first two were spent trying to
come up with a name for the blog. YEESH!

Obviously, I'm not the fastest, most
clever computer whiz you'll meet online
today, or any day for that matter.

In fact, as we speak, I'm having to go
back and forth because the dang font
keeps changing.....What the?????

Oh, Ziggy says hey. :0)